Another step was taken toward resurrecting a credible world championship qualifying cycle when the Candidates quarter and semi-final matches were staged in Elista in the Russian Federation recently. Sixteen grandmasters started – twelve as the highest finishers in the 2006 FIDE World Cup and four as the bottom half of the previous World Championship tournament in San Luis. After two rounds of six-game knockout matches, the remaining four were to join the current World Champion Vladimir Kramnik and the 2nd-4th finshers from San Luis, in another eight-player double round-robin World Championship tournament to be held in Mexico later this year.
The Candidates matches saw some great fighting chess, with players generally pulling out all the stops in an effort to progress to Mexico. The eventual qualifiers were Levon Aronian (Armenia), Peter Leko (Hungary), Boris Gelfand (Israel) and Alexander Grischuk (Russia). These four will join Kramnik (Russia), Vishwananthan Anand (India), Peter Svidler (Russia) and Alexander Morozevich (Russia) in the final.
Of the four qualifiers Aronian probably had the hardest path, drawn to play the fast improving Magnus Carlsen in the first round. Their match was an epic battle, drawn with two wins apiece and staying level in the rapid playoff before Aronian prevailed in the blitz playoff. Today's game is the very first game of that match where Aronian managed a sparkling win with the black pieces. Notes are based on those of IM Malcolm Pein.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. d3 ---
In the Ruy Lopez, avoiding the Marshal Attack (6 Rel b5 7 Bb3 0-0 8 c3 d5!?) has become almost routine at this level. 6. --- b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. a4 Rb8 9. axb5 axb5 10. Nc3 O-O 11. h3 Nb4!
An original way to organise c7-c5, claiming precious central space. 12. Ne2 c5 13. Ng3 Be6 14. Bxe6 fxe6 15. c3 Nc6 16. Re1 Qd7 17. d4?! ---
White should be aiming for b2-b4 and Qb3 with play against the weak doubled pawn on e6 as occurs in some other Anti-Marshal lines. 17. --- exd4 18. cxd4 c4!
Securing a potentially lethal outpost on d3 for the knight and a queenside pawn majority. 19. Bg5 h6 20. d5 exd5 21. Bxf6 Bxf6 22. Qxd5+ Rf7 23. Qd2 Ne5! 24. Nxe5 Bxe5
After the exchange of knights Black has the superior minor piece, as well as mobile pawns and a king-side attack. Now if 25 Nf5 then d5 undermines the knight. 25. Ne2 Rbf8 26. Rf1 Rf3!!
A spectacular rook offer, which Carlsen declines. If 27 gxf3 then Rxf3! threatening 28 ... Qxh3 & 29 ... Bh2+ mating. So 28 Nf4 Bxf4 29 Qd5+ Kh7 30 Qf5 Qxf5! with a winning endgame: 31 exf5 Be5 32 Ra2 Rb3 33 Rb1 c3 etc. Or if 27 Qd5+ Kh7 28 Rad1 Qc8 intending 29 ... Rxh3 continues as above. If on move 26 Carlsen had played f3 instead of Rf1, 26 ... Rxf3!! would still have come. 27. Ra3 Rxa3 28. bxa3 Qc6
The protected passed c-pawn is now a winning endgame asset for Black. E.g. if White defends the e-pawn by 29 f4 Bf6 30 Qd5+ Qxd5 31 exd5 Rc8 followed by Rc8-c5 and c4-c3 etc. 29. Nd4 Bxd4 30. Qxd4 Ra8 31. Ra1 c3 32. Qb4 Qc5 33. Qb3+ ---
Or 33 Qxc5 dxc5 34 f4 b4 and the connected passed pawns win. 33. --- Kh8 34. Ra2 Ra4 35. Re2 Rxa3 36. Qd1 Ra8
Preventing any counterplay starting with a back-rank check and preparing the crushing advance b5-b4-b3 etc so White resigns.
World Championship cycle resumes
Problem: White to play and mate in three.
Another step was taken toward resurrecting a credible world championship qualifying cycle when the Candidates quarter and semi-final matches were staged in Elista in the Russian Federation recently. Sixteen grandmasters started – twelve as the highest finishers in the 2006 FIDE World Cup and four as the bottom half of the previous World Championship tournament in San Luis. After two rounds of six-game knockout matches, the remaining four were to join the current World Champion Vladimir Kramnik and the 2nd-4th finshers from San Luis, in another eight-player double round-robin World Championship tournament to be held in Mexico later this year.
The Candidates matches saw some great fighting chess, with players generally pulling out all the stops in an effort to progress to Mexico. The eventual qualifiers were Levon Aronian (Armenia), Peter Leko (Hungary), Boris Gelfand (Israel) and Alexander Grischuk (Russia). These four will join Kramnik (Russia), Vishwananthan Anand (India), Peter Svidler (Russia) and Alexander Morozevich (Russia) in the final.
Of the four qualifiers Aronian probably had the hardest path, drawn to play the fast improving Magnus Carlsen in the first round. Their match was an epic battle, drawn with two wins apiece and staying level in the rapid playoff before Aronian prevailed in the blitz playoff. Today's game is the very first game of that match where Aronian managed a sparkling win with the black pieces. Notes are based on those of IM Malcolm Pein.
1. e4 e5
2. Nf3 Nc6
3. Bb5 a6
4. Ba4 Nf6
5. O-O Be7
6. d3 ---
In the Ruy Lopez, avoiding the Marshal Attack (6 Rel b5 7 Bb3 0-0 8 c3 d5!?) has become almost routine at this level.
6. --- b5
7. Bb3 d6
8. a4 Rb8
9. axb5 axb5
10. Nc3 O-O
11. h3 Nb4!
An original way to organise c7-c5, claiming precious central space.
12. Ne2 c5
13. Ng3 Be6
14. Bxe6 fxe6
15. c3 Nc6
16. Re1 Qd7
17. d4?! ---
White should be aiming for b2-b4 and Qb3 with play against the weak doubled pawn on e6 as occurs in some other Anti-Marshal lines.
17. --- exd4
18. cxd4 c4!
Securing a potentially lethal outpost on d3 for the knight and a queenside pawn majority.
19. Bg5 h6
20. d5 exd5
21. Bxf6 Bxf6
22. Qxd5+ Rf7
23. Qd2 Ne5!
24. Nxe5 Bxe5
After the exchange of knights Black has the superior minor piece, as well as mobile pawns and a king-side attack. Now if 25 Nf5 then d5 undermines the knight.
25. Ne2 Rbf8
26. Rf1 Rf3!!
A spectacular rook offer, which Carlsen declines. If 27 gxf3 then Rxf3! threatening 28 ... Qxh3 & 29 ... Bh2+ mating. So 28 Nf4 Bxf4 29 Qd5+ Kh7 30 Qf5 Qxf5! with a winning endgame: 31 exf5 Be5 32 Ra2 Rb3 33 Rb1 c3 etc. Or if 27 Qd5+ Kh7 28 Rad1 Qc8 intending 29 ... Rxh3 continues as above. If on move 26 Carlsen had played f3 instead of Rf1, 26 ... Rxf3!! would still have come.
27. Ra3 Rxa3
28. bxa3 Qc6
The protected passed c-pawn is now a winning endgame asset for Black. E.g. if White defends the e-pawn by 29 f4 Bf6 30 Qd5+ Qxd5 31 exd5 Rc8 followed by Rc8-c5 and c4-c3 etc.
29. Nd4 Bxd4
30. Qxd4 Ra8
31. Ra1 c3
32. Qb4 Qc5
33. Qb3+ ---
Or 33 Qxc5 dxc5 34 f4 b4 and the connected passed pawns win.
33. --- Kh8
34. Ra2 Ra4
35. Re2 Rxa3
36. Qd1 Ra8
Preventing any counterplay starting with a back-rank check and preparing the crushing advance b5-b4-b3 etc so White resigns.
0-1
Solution: 1 Re8! Qxe8 (else 2 Qg7#) 2 Qf6+ Rg7 3 Qxg7#.